A review by barbarajean
The Situation Room: The Inside Story of Presidents in Crisis by George Stephanopoulos

informative reflective medium-paced

3.75

This was an interesting look at a part of the White House I’ve heard referenced frequently during crises, but otherwise knew very little about. The book traces the history of the Situation Room and the way it’s changed and developed over the years, from JFK through Biden, focusing on a crisis in the Sit Room during each presidency. It was fascinating to see the vastly different ways each president approached/interacted with the room and its staff, and I learned new-to-me historical details and nuances with each chapter. At times, I found it hard to keep track of the sheer number of people involved, having to flip back and forth for reminders of names and their positions/roles. I kind of wanted a list of characters for each section! But this in itself was a reminder of the sheer volume of dedicated public servants who work tirelessly to serve our country and the office of the Presidency (rather than the person in the role). Although the Trump section was unsurprisingly difficult and disturbing to read, I came away from this reading with an unexpected new respect for Bush Sr. (both for his role in the Sit Room after Reagan’s assassination attempt and during his presidency).